Our Opinion: Not forgetting

Gains are being made in the teaching of black history

"The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history." - George Orwell

On Monday, the city of Tallahassee, Leon County and the Community Redevelopment Agency will unveil the Tallahassee-Leon County Civil Rights Heritage Walk downtown. This unique memorial is intended to help us better understand the trials of the brave men and women who endured a tumultuous period in the city's history, when segregation was the rule of the day and addressing it took courage, guts and a passion for change.

While the story being celebrated in the unveiling of Heritage Walk has as its backdrop the days when black people were denied access and respect at downtown businesses or were ordered to sit at the back of the city's public buses, it also is a reminder of fortitude and a strong sense of dignity among those who forged ahead despite the public humiliation and anger.

If Heritage Walk is taken in the spirit in which it was conceived, it can be a valuable educational tool in gaining a greater understanding of an ugly period in our past but also can celebrate the progress that is evident today in nearly every walk of life.

This is a major step in defining for some and reminding others of how far race relations have progressed in Tallahassee. It is a far better place than it was in the late 1950s and early '60s, when many of the 58 people being recognized were battling injustices.

Heritage Walk starts at Monroe and Jefferson streets downtown and extends about 80 feet west toward City Hall. The "foot soldiers" will be remembered within the footprints created in the bronze and terrazzo memorial.

Senior planner Dan Donovan of the Tallahassee-Leon County Planning Department conceived the idea of creating a tribute to the pioneers of Tallahassee's civil rights movement, including women such as Wilhelmina Jakes and Carrie Patterson, two Florida A&M University students who refused to comply when ordered to sit in the back of a city bus. That led to the 1956 bus boycott of Tallahassee. Others will be honored for their involvement in demonstrations such as the sit-in at downtown businesses that refused to serve black people. (For a complete list of honorees, visit www.talgov.com.)

Special credit also needs to go to the Master Craftsman Studio at Florida State University, whose designers worked tirelessly to make Mr. Donovan's concept a reality.

The completion of the Heritage Walk project comes at a time when Tallahassee is being recognized for two other important efforts designed to educate and to preserve the importance of black history in this community. Just last week:

? The Riley House Museum celebrated a milestone with the opening of its visitors center on the existing museum property at 419 E. Jefferson St. This addition was built with grant money and personal donations by supporters who understand the importance of preserving Leon County's African-American history, to help extend the reach of the museum as an education center.

? Leon County Schools was recognized as one of nine districts in the state for its thorough and innovative approach in incorporating African-American history in its districtwide curriculum. The district was lauded by the state Department of Education for its planning and execution of an effort to tie in the achievements of black people and their contributions to the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

It is because of the hard work and foresight of those involved in all three projects that we can get a better perspective on our community and its rich heritage to create better relations.